Cash-register key.



No. 688,827. Patented Dec. l7 190i.

.1. l CLEAL. cAsn REGISTERVKEY.

.(Application filed Mar. 25, 1900.

(No Model.)

Qwiweooco I V [UNITE STATES PAT NT FFICE.

JOSEPH P. OLEAL, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CASH-REGISTER KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 688,827, dated December17, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOSEPH P. CLEAL,a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton ,in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Imspecial keys, such as clerks or department keys, as shown in the patent to H. Cook, No.

482,165, dated September 6, 1892.

The object of the invention is to provide the keys of a cash-register with looks, so that they cannot be operated except by the person or persons holding the keys to therespective locks.

In the appended drawings, forming partof this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the bank of special keys of a machine of the class mentioued,the lock device being applied to. one only of said keys. Fig. 2 represents a detail verticalcentral section through my improved key-lock. Fig. 3 represents a detail horizontal section taken on the line so a; of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 represents a detail perspective view of the tumbler-cylinder casing.

- In the aforesaid drawings, 1 represents the escutcheon-cylinder 2,the tumbler-cylinder; 3, the tumblers; 4, the tumbler-drivers; 5,the inserted key, and 6 the cash -registerkey shank.

The cylinder 1 is secured to the cash-register casing by suitable screws and is formed with two lateral recesses 7 an internal vertical groove 8, and a ho'rizontalgroove 9, intersecting the vertical groove at its upper end. These grooves are arranged to receive a pin or stud 10, formed on the cylinder 2. This cylinder is formed with two tumbler-passages 11, a key-passage 12, intersecting the same, and a socket 13, the latter being located at its lower end. The key-shank 6 is substantially as shown in the aforesaid patent, with the exception that the button or head is omitted and the upper end of said shank formed with a shallow annular groove 14. This upper grooved end of the shank projects into the Application filed March 28, 1900. Serial No. 10,466. (No model.)

socket 13 and'is' held therein by apin 15,

mounted in the cylinder 2 and projecting into the groove 14. By this structure the cylinder 2 may be rotated independently of the keyshank, but cannot be moved longitudinally independently of the same.

The tumbler-cylinder casing 16 is arranged to slide vertically inthe casing and is held and guided therein by the driver pins or plungers 4, which are mounted in the passages 7 and projectinto an elongated slot 17, formed in said casing,said pins being normally forced forward by springs 18, mounted in said passages behind them. The casing 16 is formed atits upper end with an overhanginga'nnular flange 19, which assistsin retaining the plunger-cylinder in position, the pin 10 also projecting under thelower edge of the casing and causing the same to move vertically with the plunger-cylinder.

The tumblers 3 are mounted loosely in the passages 11, so that when the key 15 is inserted in the passage 12 the bits of said key will engage and force the tumblers outward in the well-known manner of operation of the ,Yale lock. This outward movement of the tumblers will of course force the drivers 4 back out of the passages 11 and leave the plunger-cylinder free to be turned. As said cylinder is turned the pin 10 travels in the groove 9 until the intersecting vertical groove 8 is reached, when the key, plunger-cylinder, and easing 16 are all forced inward, thus operatingthe key-shank 6 in itsusual manner. When the key-shank is thus pressed inward, it becomes latched to its regular detent and is thus held to its regularoperation and eventually released, as is usual in the class of machine mentioned. When s0 released, the shank is again forced outward by a coil-spring .20, which surrounds said shank and has its opposite ends secured, respectively, to the register-casing and to the bottom of the plunger-cylinder. The effect of this construction is that when the plungercylinder is rotated before the depression of the key the spring is put under rotary tension, so that when the key-shank is finally released from its detent the said cylinder will be first forced outward and then rotated automatically to its normal position.

My invention-isintended more particularly for use in machines having multiple counters or multiple detail-strips and multiple cashdrawers controlled, respectively, by said special keys.

With a multiple counter-machine having multiple cash-drawers and equipped with my improved key-locks it will be seen that any mistakes that are made can be instantly traced, as each clerk has his own counter and his own cash-drawer and can lock the same against operation by any other clerk. Thus if his cash and counter do not balance he knows positively it is his mistake and his alone, as no one else has any possible chance of tampering with his counter or his cashdrawer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of depressible keys, of locks mounted on said keys for preventing their operation and arranged so that they must be rotated before the keys can be depressed.

2. In a cash-register, the combination of an operating-segment, a series of depressible keys arranged to form stops for the same, independent locks for said keys and removable keys for operating said locks.

23. In a cash-register, the combination of an operating-segment, keys extending radially therefrom and arranged to form stops therefor, looks mounted on said keys and having tumblers arranged to engage astationary part of the machine and removable keys for operating said locks to free said radial keys.

4. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of locks for said keys arranged when operated to be first rotated and then depressed.

5. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of independent locks for said keys arranged to be first rotated and then depressed when operated and detachable keys arranged to be inserted in said locks to free them for rotary movement.

6. The combination with cash-register keys having depressible shanks, lock-tumbler cylinders carried by said shanks, tumblers in said cylinders, and cylinder-casings containing tumbler-drivers.

7. The combination with cash-register keys having depressible shanks, lock-tumbler cylinders carried by said shanks, tumblers in said cylinders andarranged to be forced out- Ward by the insertion of keys, and cylindercasings containing spring-pressed tumblerdrivers.

8. The combination with a series of depressible cash-register keys, of operating lock members connected to said keys, and formed respectively with projecting pins, casings for said members formed with grooves each of which has a horizontal and a vertical portion for the reception of its respective pin, and means for releasing the lock members to allow them to be rotated and depressed.

9. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of depressible keys, of locks applied to said keys and arranged to operate them by being first rotated and then depressed and keys arranged to be inserted in saidvlocks to free them for rotation.

10. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of depressible cash-register keys, of lock members mounted on said keys and provided with lock-tumblers, stationary casings for said members provided with driver-pins for the tumblers, and keys for throwing said tumblers.

11. The combination with a series of depressible cash-register keys, of operating lock members mounted on said keys, stationary casings for said lock members, means mounted on the members and engaging the casings to prevent depression of said members without first rotating the same, and detachable keys for unlocking the members to permit of their rotation.

12. In acash-register, the combination with a series of depressible cash-register keys, of a lock members mounted on said keys, and provided with projecting studs, stationary casings for said lock members having grooves into which said studs project to compel rotary movement of the members before they can be depressed and means for preventing said 1'0 tary movements until suitable keys have been inserted.

13. In a cash-register, the combination with removable keys for operating said locks.

15. In a cash-register the combination of an operating-segment, a series of depressible keys arranged to form stops for the same,locks mounted on said keys and having tumblers arranged to engage a stationary part of the machine and thus hold the keys against operation and removable keys for operating said locks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH P. OLEAL.

Witnesses:

ALVAN MAcAuLEY, JOHN A. WERNER. 

